1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an electronic still camera including a storage device such as a flash memory for storing a photographed image taken in by an imaging device and, more particularly, to an interface module for an external connection to an external device such as a personal computer in this electronic still camera.
2. Related Background Art
A known conventional electronic still camera is constructed to convert an image of an object that is taken in by an imaging device into digital signals and stores a storage medium such as a flexible disk or a memory card with the digital signals.
This kind of conventional electronic still camera is constructed such that the storage medium stored with the photographed image is removed from the camera after the photography and loaded into a slot for a card type recording medium of the personal computer, or the electronic still camera is connected via a communication interface such as RS-232C to the personal computer, or image signals written to the storage medium can be taken into an external device such as the personal computer.
In particular, a wide-spread use of a large capacity memory card can be seen recently, and a larger number of reading device therefor are--although an install type of reading device is a matter of course--of such a type as to be loaded into portable personal computers. It may often happen that the reading device is used while being carried outside together with the electronic still camera.
The above-described prior art electronic still camera has such a problem that the storage medium is removed from the camera and reinserted into a PC card slot of a portable type or an install type personal computer, or the camera must be connected to the personal computer via a communication cable, and therefore the connection to the personal computer is troublesome.
Especially when the electronic still camera is connected via the communication cable to the computer, the computer might need a special driver software for receiving the data, and, as a matter of course, the special cable must be prepared. The equipment consequently increases in number enough to be inconvenient for preservation. Besides, the connecting operation using the cable is troublesome to even a user familiar with using the electronic appliances as well as to a beginner.
In this respect, the camera using an attachable/detachable PC card as a storage medium is advantageous. While on the other hand, the camera body is provided with members exclusive of a memory and a connector and needed for the electronic still camera and therefore increases in size. Further, the camera body thus incorporates a great number of functions and hence becomes expensive.
It may also often happen that the data are received and transferred between the above-mentioned electronic still camera and the personal computer outside and places to which the users go. According to a method of attaching and detaching the PC card to and from the camera body each time, the user is required to pay sufficient attention to a treatment not to drop or lose the PC cared together with the camera. It is desired that this point be taken into consideration.